Main pic: Clonmany Meet and Make Heritage Day which was funded by Heritage Keepers.
Donegal residents are being encouraged to apply to the latest round of the National Heritage Keepers Programme.
Over 150 groups and schools have completed the free initiative to date. Heritage Keepers are now looking for community groups and senior classes of primary schools to take part.
Through a series of online workshops, Heritage Keepers empowers groups and schools to delve into their local heritage and then provides funding to allow them to take positive action.
In the last year, 70 schools and communities participated in the programme, with the majority successfully completing local funded projects and actions. A number of Donegal groups and schools took part and completed fantastic projects. These included Clonmany Community Centre who held a wonderful heritage day as their funded project.
Mary Dillon, Heritage Keepers Co-ordinator, emphasised the programme’s mission.
“By engaging schools and local groups, Heritage Keepers play a crucial role ensuring that current and future generations understand the value of their heritage, and actively contribute to its preservation,” she said.
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive, Community Foundation Ireland added: “Connecting people with their local place and its built, cultural and natural heritage, while facilitating positive actions for that place is key to ensuring a sustainable future for all.”
The programme consists of five engaging two-hour workshops, followed by dedicated support while completing the funded action. It opened for expressions of interest on the 3rdth of September, with options to begin this autumn or in the New Year.
For those eager to learn more about this opportunity, an online information session is scheduled for Thursday, September 12th, at 7.30pm. Visit www.heritagekeepers.ie for additional details and to complete a brief application form (submission deadline: October 4th).
